Planets
There are over 3000 worlds under the flag of the Union of Humanity, following is only a peek at the full diveristy of worlds to be found: Bolama-Trees grow to unbelievable heights on this low gravity world. Such is the size of these trees that entire ecosystems grow under their shade. Some of the largest trees are so massive that every member of a given species may live on it, and should something befall that tree, extinction is the result. In fact extinction is a frequent and quite normal part of life on Bolama. Forest fires often rage across large swaths of forest, caused by lightning strikes thrown down from the ever present storm clouds that hover above the treetops. In these dark forests, within large clearings live the human frontier colonists. Brighton- A thick atmosphere coats this 4th surge world. The noon of day is dark as midnight, boiling black clouds blocking out all hints of light. The fact that there is breathable oxygen and a variety of fossils, hint at a once vibrant, but now long dead ecosystem. A dead, planet-spanning civilization once called Brighton home, but who knows their ultimate fate? Scrubbing units are working to thin out the black cloud layer to allow sunlight to once again touch the soil, though this process is very expensive and will take centuries to have an effect. One day, this planet will live again, and thrive like it never has before. Crassius- Industrial Mega Zone, one of four. Created to protect the Regions of Grigio and Rutilus. The two large continents on the planet both contain the largest mountain ranges so far in the Stellar Habitat. Their beauty and vastness is truly stunning. While Crassius is generally a dry and chilly world, having a very shallow, cool ocean, its population enjoys the massive river systems which pour out of the mountains, providing an abundance of fresh, natural and most importantly not recycled, water.(28Billion) Drago '''(approx.50LY from SOL) On this dusty world humanity encountered its first alien species in almost 700 years. The world was discovered to be an incubation world for the Grub Tribes (awaiting future colonization) The War of the 27 Suns was commenced here, a war which last 42 years and cost tens of millions of human and syn lives. Drago was a dry world, nearly devoid of life, the only real remnant of its lush past was the breathable atmosphere. Since its initial colonization nearly 500 years ago, the planet has become one of the most heavily populated and industrialized places in the whole of the Union. '''Nazra – 2nd surge world. A largely arid environment, several small inland seas. Very resource rich world, pockmarked with mining operations. Nazra pioneered its own Hab structure simply called ‘Towers’. These were necessary to support ( feed and house) the constant influx of labour to work the mines. The natural capital of the world could not support any kind of large population, so the vast growing cylinders – creating proteins and other nutrients - would need to be grown within the Hab cities. The Nazarenes , an indigenous sentient life form, inhabit the low rolling hills deep in the deserts, they are small in number and it is believed that they are naturally coming to the extinction of their species. Every now and then, a solitary Nazarene can be seen sitting silently atop a hill, perhaps lamenting the end of their kind. They will eventually succumb to the desert and become mummified, over time, in that very spot. (27.7Billion) Norelius- A polar world of ceaseless cold but full of life. The planets equatorial oceans are open for most of the year, small sections of land poke out of the gargantuan glaciers here and there. A multitude of fatty animals live on the shores and within the depths of the frigid seas. On several of the largest peninsulas, the colonists have built their great cities with no intention of terraforming this world into a warmer version of itself in the future. While only colonizing this world rather recently, they have grown to love it for its natural beauty and unique lifeforms, not to mention the intense aurora borealis that grace the Norelian sky every evening. Port Arthur- Core world of the Zeng Grouping. Colonized in 275AP. Contains vast, life filled oceans and many islands covered in dense jungles and marked with deep canyons. The Sengi developed in the canyons of one of the smaller islands, a carnivorous plant-like animal, which lured food to its jaws by means of chemical enticements. During an unknown period in human habitation of the planet the Sengi somehow ‘blended’ with the leaders of the world.(7.9Billion) Salans and Marius- two original planets of the SynBio Compact. The strange cyborg cult was first identified in 602AP, probably originating on Salans itself. By 620AP it had influence on both Salans and Marius(5 light-years distant) Their influence was considerable as were their industrial capabilities so the Union moved to quarantine their influence to those 2 systems. They were tolerated because they were not seen as a viable threat at the time, they still claimed loyalty to the Union and mankind and they agreed to stay contented with their current borders. Salans is a world in the mid stages of terraforming. It is a former ice-world, now racked by monsoon storms planetwide. When terraforming is complete, in the next hundred years or so, it will be very similar in climate to Earth, having an average temperature of 20 Celsius. Marius, coincidentally, is also a planet in the process of terraforming. However, where Salans is being made warmer, Marius is being cooled down. Its excess carbon dioxide is being bled into space. Shallow oceans have recently formed and the population is able to spend hours at a time out of the sealed cities (although it is still oppressively hot) One day soon it too will be very similar to Earth. Thalberg- A planet with an ancient history of great floods and terrible upheaval. Luckily, the environment has been stable for the last several million years. However, the marks of the past remain across the landscape, as a constant reminder of the power of nature. Canyons thousands of metres deep slash the skin of the planet from pole to pole. Mountains and shorelines contain strange, massive rock formations, worn smooth by the ravages of time. Amidst all of the remnants of this former chaos was a haven for life. The sun of Thalberg burns brightly, more so than other suns, and as a result harsh radiation filters through the atmosphere and baths the planet. However, within the many deep canyons life is safe and can flourish. Within these endless canyons mankind can travel without need of protective clothing from the sun. Usuthu-''' A world named after a hero from the days of the Shraah Invasion (Thomass Usuthu) An ocean world, lacking any land whatsoever. Since it is tidally locked to its sun, half of the world is bathed in perpetual night. Massive floating cities exist in the twilight zone of the world. They are capable of moving, slowly, if the need arises, but since they are so unbelievably huge, they are simply impervious to anything the planet can throw at it ( even the eternal hypercanes that boil on fully half of the world) (1.6Billion) '''Veldum- 1st surge world renowned for its endless vistas of orchards. It is a temperate world that is unique in many ways. Major cities, with towers reaching to the heavens , large industrial complexes, skies filled with craft going to and fro, none of this could be seen on Veldum. The biggest settlement, Prime itself, only contained 50,000 souls. Spread across the globe were countless smaller cities and villages that harvested the fruits that made this planet famous. Most food and drink consumed by the trillion or so Union citizens was manufactured and not grown, for it would be impossible to feed such numbers without entire planets being devoted to intensive agriculture. Natural grown food (thought the strains were massively genetically enhanced) was a luxury. New and ancient strains of olives, apples, peaches and oranges grew in vast groves. Such was the bounty that they were shipped to planets throughout the grouping and often beyond. Most famous though were the various wines. Vintages known the Union over came from Veldum, one of only 3 planets that actually produced wine naturally. Wales- Heavy gravity, hot and humid world. Thick clouds cover the globe. Uniform temperature. Low lying plant and animal life. Citizens of this world frequent the Spire parks of several major cities: towers which extend above the cloud layer, providing a place of large parks and lots of sunshine. The massive structures are held in place by Static Grav Engines. Citizens enter through several means: either by aircraft from one of the cities below the cloud layer, or through a Vertical Beaming system, which raises an enclosed platform to the Spire Parks on a regular basis. Most ‘Twilight Worlds’ would have to make do with their situation, since Wales is an older 1st surge world; it has the population, infrastructure and capital to provide its citizens with this luxury.